Apparatus for controlled irrigation of the natural cavities and tubes of the human body

Abstract

The invention concerns an apparatus for controlled irrigation of the natural cavities and tubes of the human body. It is characterized in that it includes correcting means for equalizing the measuring signal which represents the pressure and which is emitted by a pressure gauge (10) according to the pressure losses and according to the difference of height between the area of measurement of the pressure and the intervention area which corresponds to an organ (2). These correcting means include a correcting circuit (14B) adapted to effect a correction according to said difference of height and a correcting circuit (14C) adapted to take into account the pressure loss, namely the flow rate of the fluid injected through the inner duct (6) of the endoscope (1) and the cross section of this duct.

I claim: 
     
       1. Apparatus for controlled irrigation of the natural cavities and tubes of the human body by endoscopy, wherein an urological endoscope having at least one duct is provided to inject an irrigation fluid intermittently or continuously in a corporeal cavity and/or a corporeal intervention area whereby to permit interventions both with intermittent and continuous irrigations, said apparatus comprising: an urological endoscope having at least one duct;   a tank containing irrigation fluid;   a joining conduit connecting said tank to said at least one duct;   a supply pump mounted on said joining conduit supply said duct with irrigation fluid;   first means sensitive to pressure, connected below said pump to said joining conduit, for measuring the instant pressure in said conduit at the level of said first means for emitting a measuring signal representing this pressure;   second means, communicating with said first means, for defining an acceptable maximum pressure in said intervention area;   correcting means receiving said measuring signal for equalizing said measuring signal which represents the pressure which is a resultant of pressure losses and of the difference in level existing between said first means and said intervention area, whereby to determine the value of said instant pressure at the level of said intervention area; and   means connecting said pump, said second means and said correcting means including a control unit in a supply conduit to said pump for controlling the injection of irrigation fluid in such manner that said pressure in said intervention area is at all times not greater than said acceptable maximum pressure.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means for equalizing said measuring signal in accordance with said pressure losses comprises a correcting circuit coupled with a controllable correcting circuit having a control organ, said controllable correcting circuit and said control organ being connected and delivering to said correcting circuit distinct signals which correspond respectively to different hydraulically equivalent cross sections of the inner duct of said endoscope, said different hydraulically equivalent cross sections being selected by means of said control organ. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 2, including means for measuring the volume of fluid injected, comprising an element actuated by fluid propelled by said pump and emitting a flow rate signal, a signal processing unit connected to said correcting circuit and adapted to receive an order signal representing said different hydraulically equivalent cross sections of said inner duct of said endoscope, said order signal being transmitted by a selecting unit provided with a regulating organ, said signal processing unit being also coupled to receive said flow rate signal transmitted by said element which is actuated by fluid propelled by said pump, and to actuate a visual display showing the instant rate of flow. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said element actuated by the fluid propelled by said pump is connected in series in said joining conduit below said pump and is adapted for emitting a signal in the form of impulses which represents the flow rate of the injected fluid, and including at least one volume counter of the fluid volume delivered by said pump to said correcting circuit, said counter being connected to said signal processing unit. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus according to claim 4, including two said counters connected to said signal processing unit, the first of which is adapted for measuring the volume of fluid delivered since the beginning of a current cycle in the case of intermittent irrigation, and the second of which is adapted for measuring the volume of fluid delivered since the beginning of intervention by either mode of irrigation. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus according to claim 5, including a regulated circuit provided with a control organ adapted for emitting signals to a comparison circuit, said signals corresponding to different fluid volumes which are to be delivered during an intervention or a current cycle, said different volumes being selected by means of said control organ, said comparison circuit including a first input for said signals which proceeds from said regulated circuit and which corresponds to said different volumes of fluid, and a second input for signals which are emitted by said first counter. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of said first and second counters is connected respectively with a first and a second visual display device. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus according to claim 5, including a comparator, a first zero resetting device and a second zero resetting device, said resetting devices being connected respectively with said first counter and with said second counter, and wherein said first zero resetting device is adapted to act on said comparator which is coupled with a control unit of an electric valve interposed in said joining conduit, so as to stop the injection of fluid when a predetermined volume has been injected into said intervention area. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus according to claim 4, including two adaptation circuits designed to amplify and adapt respectively the signals representative of the flow rate and of the instant pressure in said intervention area, an active and controlled withdrawing device, and terminal connections for communicating said adaptation circuits with said active and controlled withdrawing device. 
     
     
       10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said active and controlled withdrawing device includes a conduit for withdrawing the fluid of said intervention area, a withdrawing pump mounted on said conduit, second means sensitive to pressure connected to said conduit above said intervention area, said withdrawing device including correcting means for equalizing the measuring signal emitted by said first means representing said pressure, which exists between said first means and said intervention area, and means for controlling the withdrawing of the irrigation fluid, whereby said pressure in said intervention area is at any instant not greater than said maximum pressure. 
     
     
       11. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means for equalizing the measuring signal emitted by said first means includes a comparison and processing unit and a correcting circuit equipped with a control organ, said correcting circuit and said organ being adapted to emit to said comparison and processing unit different signals corresponding respectively to different hydraulically equivalent cross sections of said duct in said endoscope, said different hydraulically equivalent cross sections being preselected by means of said control organ. 
     
     
       12. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means for equalizing said measuring signal according to pressure losses includes a correcting circuit having a preselecting organ, said correcting circuit having terminals corresponding to different injection flow rates and said preselecting organ being adapted to preselect from said terminals the flow rates of fluid withdrawn from said intervention area. 
     
     
       13. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means for equalizing said measuring system according to said pressure losses includes a terminal connection connected with a correcting circuit which is in contact with a control organ, said terminal connection delivering to said correcting circuit a signal representative of the instant flow rate of said injection device. 
     
     
       14. Apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said correcting means for equalizing the signal according to said difference in level includes a pressure gauge emitting a signal which measures pressure at its level, a controllable correcting circuit equipped with a preselecting organ, a correcting circuit connected to and receiving said signal from said pressure gauge, said controllable correcting circuit and said organ being adapted to emit to said correcting circuit distinct signals which respectively correspond to distinct level differences between said pressure gauge and said intervention area, said distinct level differences being displayed by means of said preselecting organ. 
     
     
       15. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correcting means for equalizing said measuring signal according to said difference in level includes a correcting circuit coupled with a controllable correcting circuit having a control organ, said correcting circuit being adapted by means of said controllable correcting circuit and said control organ to emit a correcting signal, said controllable correcting circuit permitting regulation of the amplitude of said correcting signals which corresponds to distinct level differences between said first means and said intervention area, said distinct level differences being displayed by means of said control organ. 
     
     
       16. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second means includes a control circuit having a control organ and a comparator, said control circuit and said control organ being adapted to emit to a first input of said comparator distinct signals which correspond respectively to different values of said acceptable maximum pressure in said intervention area, said different values being selected by means of said control organ. 
     
     
       17. Apparatus according to claim 1, including at least one optical display device connected to said correcting means and adapted of visualizing the instant pressure in said intervention area. 
     
     
       18. Apparatus according to claim 1, including an optical display device connected to said correcting means for visualizing the instant pressure which is measured by said first means. 
     
     
       19. Apparatus according to claim 1, including an optical display device connected to said correcting means for visualizing the instant pressure in sad joining conduit.